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I've had the game for 1 month and love learning the system. The AAR's
are great. The personalities of the posters are a tasty part of the menu.

AGN stragtegy...

Is it more important to pocket Soviets or get other infantry forward, across the Daugava.. I realize they are not mutually exclusive, but they often conflict and I think the later is more important than the first... ???

Is it crucial to do an early armor HQ buildup to get close to Leningrad and disrupt defensive line formation...??? And if the answer is yes, when and how many do you do...???

You have only 6 mech divisions to start in AGN. Doesn't seem enough... How many do you transfer from AGC...???

How do you isolate Leningrad...???

A few points:

1. Get everyone moving forward; you can generally pocket some troops though west of the Daugvina, without interrupting that move. Just make sure you take all the ports before Riga; they can be used to draw supply for Soviet units. There are two; the northern one has to be taken by a Mobile unit. Infantry can reach the southern one

2. You shouldn't need extra Panzers, but extras might make it fall quicker. Up to you.

3. You can isolate Leningrad one of two ways:
a. Reach the River Svir; you have to cut-off all Soviet ports on Lake Ladoga. The last one usually is called "Svir"; it's a port on the river Svir. You need to take or isolate this port in particular. OR
b. Take Ostinovets, the port on the Isthmus with Leningrad

Most people do B, with a direct assault over the Neva. The easiest way is the "Backdoor Hex", which is the Light Woods hex south of Ostinovets. A good Soviet opponent will get a lvl 3 fort there and stack units, but even if they do, you can clear it. Just get a bunch of Pioneers and Heavy Artillery up there, and be prepared for your first attacks to fail. But as long as you keep knocking down the forts, you'll get it.

Once you get over the Neva, Leningrad is doomed

How about the HQ buildups and their timing and amount ????

Also where is Ostinovets ???

Here's the first page of my Axis AAR.
If I were you, I would practice making all the pockets you see on Turn 1 (they're not mine originally; I plagiarized them from Q-ball ages ago).  Once you can do that, you've got a fairly proficient ability to move your army around.  The trick in repeating the Turn 1 is to figure out how you move & attack with slow units before you let any fast units move.  Start with units further west, move them to the border, fights with them.  Then the units that started at the border don't need to fight first - so they can go further.  Finally, after the infantry move out, then the armor/motorized exploit.

Once you figure out how to capture Riga on T1, you're doing AGN right.
After that, get across the Daugava on T1, and try to have at least 1 unit cross the river that runs south from Pskov on T2.

From there, you can find a great deal of information about AGN's obstacles in the AAR.  Even if you do it differently, it's a fairly broad discussion of the issues AGN faces.

ORIGINAL: HITMAN202
How about the HQ buildups and their timing and amount ????

Very situatinal dependant. It can be really done without any build-up. One HQ build when your forces and just north of Pskov (Turn 4-6), to try to smash Luga line in one stroke is a common ocurrence. If your forces could not cross the valikaya (the river west/SW of Pskov) in turn 2 probably a turn 3 build over there can hep regain lost impetus

Also where is Ostinovets ???

Image taken from http://www.puntadelanza.net/Foro/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=11469&start=30 , if you understand spanish the link will show you thread depictings strategic options, Look for Lorenzo´s post

ORIGINAL: HITMAN202

How about the HQ buildups and their timing and amount ????

Turn 5 you should be doing build-ups on both Corps of 4th PZ. The railhead should be a few hexes past Riga after turn 4 repairs. Before the rail nerf you could HQ build up turn 4.

Turns 1 - 3 I Corps should not be doing any fighting only moving forward, transfer the division in II Corps that has 90 morale. Put Model in charge and transfer in some extra poineers and guns to HQ.

You should be able to easly blow through any defences on turn 6 sometimes cut off Leningrad. Generally it take one more turn to seal off city.

As soon as city is cut off send 4th pz to Moscow area of operations followed by 18th army once Leningrad is done.

I can't tell you all how much I need (and enjoy) your comments. Pelton I follow you completely. The issue with Model and sending the Panzers quickly to Moscow are spot on. I'm still slogging thru thru rules (just figured out that you can pay for more SU thru Axis Corp HQ...dahhhh..) and starting with game turn #1 reviewing and learning from the many AARs. I think there is a better approach to the fall of Leningrad. Criticize my views...

1} The sooner you throw Panzers at the outskirts of St. Petersburg, the better. By doing so you disrupt defense line buildup and force Soviet reinforcements to flow there.

2) To accomplish this at turn 1 you focus on advancing the infantry to where 8-12 are across the Daugava on turn 2 and at the outskirts of Pskov on turn 3. You HQ build one Panzer Corp on turn 3 at throw it at Leningrad on turn 4 (the infantry and sister Panzer Corp clearing the way) and HQ build up the other Panzer Corp on turn 5 and send it to isolate Leningrad on turn 6. Infantry can start to chew on Lenningrad on turn 5.


To get 8-12 of your grunts across the Dauvaga on turn 2, you only use hasty attacks to minimize MP costs and use the armour (not counting the two to steal Riga) to do much of the dirty work and clearing two paths west and east of Riga for the infantry to jump the river on turn two.

Pelton, I've seen you frequently isolate Lenningrad on turn 5, but a few stacked units in the swamps would easily preempt that ,,,IMO.

On turn 5 you would have 3-4 Panzers air-supplied just outside the Venice of the North to create grief.

??? Opinions ????

As the Axis I believe you have to be flexible enough to "show" you have enough force going at Leningrad to give the impression you can take it. At a minimum this forces the Soviet player to at least move the industry which may impede movement of Industry somewhere else.

To completely and obviously neglect a move on Leningrad allows the Soviet player to focus on other more important areas and put less pressure on rail movement of industry. In every game I have played as Soviet that the Axis has neglected Leningrad I have leveraged that bad decision into early Soviet success and enjoyed a very solid anchored flank with all of Leningrads industry intact and never moved. This is very bad for the Axis.

Many Soviet choose to not even fight for the place as they know a determined Axis attack cannot be stopped. Its up to the Axis player play this part of the front in a delicate manner. You may be able to bluff your way into the place but wont know if you dont try [:D]

As the Axis I have taken Leningrad quite easily when reinforced with a Panzer corps from 3rd PZ and 6 or so of the reserve divisions that arrive as reinforcements.

I have also taken it without any Panzers from 3rd Panzer but I really think that particular game the Soviet player was not going to fight for the city extensively anyway.